Your Lives: Farewell to the pioneer of city’s libraries

Dr Bob McKee, who has died aged 59, was the ‘Indiana Jones of Librarianship’.

Dr Bob McKee, who has died aged 59, was the ‘Indiana Jones of Librarianship’.

He devoted his life to raising the profile, professionalism and pioneering spirit of librarianship and linking it to the brave new world of information science.

Dr McKee, known as Mak to his oldest friends, once famously declared, “what librarianship needs is someone to do for it what Indiana Jones did for archaeology” – before proceeding to instinctively fill that role.

It was almost fitting that he died doing something he loved – attending the International Federation of Library Associations’ annual congress in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Biddy Fisher, president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, to which Bob was chief executive, delivered a heartfelt tribute.

“Although he died in another country, he was in a community of colleagues and friends that was home to him.”

Among many other things Bob was a visionary.

He foresaw the importance of libraries housing internet access and other services unaffordable to some in a bid to bridge what he called ‘a dangerous divide in the information highway’.

Bob’s late father, Reverend Harry McKee, a Methodist minister, and mum Nancy, a primary school teacher, moved to Bury, Lancashire, shortly after he was born.

During his youth Bob developed what would become a lifelong passion for Bury FC, attending many games at Gigg Lane where a section of seats have been named in his honour. After reading English at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, Bob undertook a PhD at the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute and relocated to Solihull where he would reside for the rest of his life.

During the 1970s Bob was instrumental in launching inner city community libraries in Birmingham before starting his library career in the local studies department at Central Library.

After several roles with Solihull Council, where he met his future wife Victoria – a former Birmingham Mail journalist – Bob became chief executive of the Library Association.

He presided over its unification with the Institute of Information Scientists to form the CILIP in 2002.

Quintessentially English – enjoying cricket, The Rolling Stones, Shakespeare, traditional British ales and the quiet pleasures of country walks and pubs – Bob remained extremely active.

He served on various boards and committees and kept his lively ‘Bob’s Blog’ for CILIP right up to the day he died.

Bob once joked that were he to use all the initials after his name they would not fit into an envelope.

Victoria, who separated from Bob three years ago, offered a glowing tribute to him.

“If today’s librarians feel freed from the long-shelved stereotype of the ‘Shhhsh….’ing spinster in the stacks, to become empowering engineers of change, they should take a moment to thank Bob.

“Family, friends and thousands of acquaintances and colleagues the world over are still in shock over his loss and are trying to come to terms with it.

“The ‘information age’ will be poorer for the premature passing of its most articulate advocate and catalyst for change.”

Maria Cotera, a former president of CILIP’s Career Development Group, described Bob as a ‘truly charismatic man and an inspiring leader’.

“He will be sorely missed in our profession and never forgotten by those of us who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him.”

An event to celebrate Bob’s life, organised by CILIP, will be held in London next month.